Scotland Tourist Tax

Sounds like they've been talking to the French local authorities, who in fairness do put the money back into the local area enhancement, not wasted as it would be here

Are all these extra tourists not spending money while there? You'd think the local economy would be booming.

My view on this is that anyone using public facilities should be prepared to pay,anyone staying out in the wild and using their own facilities should be free to do so.

Well who can

I don't think it's a new thing. Those who visit the continent will advise I'm sure.

You will certainly pay a tourist tax of around 50c in France. It applies to campsites and pay aires, but many villages away from the ‘hot spots’ have free aires. These of course can be shared resources used by cars etc. Obviously no levy is made, nor can it be applied to wildcamping spots. Wild camping is seen as a right in France which I reckon would be defended strongly if government tried to stop it.

The last sentence is the important one in this post, since whilst Scotland has a right of access and freedom to camp in law, it is more suseptable to being interfered with by councils and lobby groups trying to control or ban camping. You only have to look at the situation at Loch Lomond and the developing storms on the north coast 500 particularly some of the islands.

Look also at places like Venice which are over run with tourists, you cannot but sympathise with residents whose lives are badly disrupted at times, especially when they see large cruise ships dock for a day, dump thousands of tourists who wander the sights and contribute little to the economy and depart by 5pm. It is imperative that we be seen as contributing to local business. Something which we as a forum always bang on about (quite rightly). I always point in casual conversation in shops etc that we are visiting in a Motorhome. PR is a Biggy. Look at the politicians in election mode. They never miss an opportunity to spread their views wether true, exaggerated or a bit of a white lie. Be a politician for the Motorhome party.

Sadly there is no proper lobby group for motorhoming so we are always fighting a rearguard action.

Davy

Well, I've tried. I Spent six years banging my head against the RSA on various issues including the lack of the C1(97) licence. The FMCI was set up as a group of clubs to present one strong voice but never got beyond a mild whisper and now seems to have contracted laryngitis.
Pretty much all of the successes relating to Motorhome Parking Areas (Aires), in the South, is down to just one club, more or less.
At present, I can list a half dozen issues we are being screwed over by the RSA but nobody seems overly interested in creating a united front to take them on. It's unbelievable that the RSA consider motorhome to be in the same category as goods vehicles.
For a good laugh CLICK HERE

They obviously don't follow any of that I have 7 plastic windows and the test center couldn't give fiddlers. One Guy told me they don't care what's inside they basically concern themselves with the base vehicle/ the lighting and that all the doors open and close.